Callie's Quest
by blenny334
Summary: Newly orphaned girl, who finds out she has magic, almost like Harry Potter. Goes to her aunts to live, and she teaches Callie the Way. While Callie studies, she makes friends and learns from things that her parents may still be alive, just in another worl
1. Aunt Jules

Callie looked out the window, watching the trees of her much loved home pass by. At this moment everything was definitely not going her way. After her parents died, she was being sent to live with her Aunt Jules. Her aunt lived in Graniston, a three day train journey from everything she knew. All her things had been packed, and Callie not saying a word the whole time. The only comfort is Lynx, her cat. Even her maid, Beth, who usually could make her laugh when her parents were on one of their trips, couldn't now. Now that they were gone, gone for good.  
  
It happened in Kanis. They were riding in a carriage to the King's Palace, because her family was the second richest in all of Unition, and they had been cordially invited as honored guests. Callie was sure that someone had it in for her parents, maybe to get their riches, because somehow the wheel blew out and they went careening in a dark crevasse that Kanis is known for, never to be seen again.  
  
"My dear, a penny for your thoughts?" Beth asked, traces of worry on her wrinkled and careworn face. //Maybe this isn't a good idea. Callie looks exhausted, and she's been through so much already. Her aunt is the only one that can show her the Way though. Also tell her, because I'm certainly not the one that will.// "Please child, you are going to have to talk sometime, and I'm as good a person as any to start with."  
  
Callie sighed, "Beth, I feel so empty, but at the same time filled with something I can't describe, something powerful and it feels like I will burst with it anytime now."  
  
//Yes! Finally I get through to her! But perhaps we left for Mistress Jules too late, for she can feel the signs and I can tell the change will happen soon.\\ "I know what you mean, but it will pass, you'll be so busy at your aunts house that you won't know what to do first!"  
  
"Maybe so, but I can barely think of staying without you. Are you positive you have to go? Will you please stay on as my private maid?"  
  
"You know I can't do that dear. I'm getting old, and you'll have a brand new maid when you get to your aunts house."  
  
Callie sighed again and looked out the window. The landscape was changing, now instead of farms and houses, there were trees. //Getting closer I guess. I wonder what Aunt Jules will be like. I hope she's like my mother. No! Don't think that! No one can ever be like mother. Ever.\\  
  
The train whistled and the conductor walked down the aisle calling that Graniston is 10 minutes away. Callie had been dreading this moment ever since she was first told that she was to leave her home and go to Graniston. Lynx had been quiet the whole time, curled on her lap, but as if he knew what was happening, he got up and stretched. Callie gave him a quick scratch behind his ears before starting to gather her things.  
  
It seemed to her like a split second later when the train slowed down and chugged to a stop beside a busy station. Everyone was hustling and bustling to get their things done, and paid no mind to the people getting off the train. As soon as Callie stepped off the train she noticed that the town wasn't that big for as much activity as it had. Then she was being hugged by a stranger that she knew instantly as Aunt Jules.  
  
"Hello, hello! How was your trip? I know how those trains can be, just awful, right? Well, we'll soon get you home and you can rest and wash all that travel off of you. I knew instantly it was you, you look so much like your mother. Oh how rude of me! I'm your Aunt Jules, and this is my - no our butler, James." Her aunt said this so fast she could barely comprehend it all. Still, her aunt made a smile touch her lips. Her aunt was strikingly beautiful, with long, raven hair. Her eyes were emeralds, and her face look as delicate as a rose. She was tall and thin. Now she looked at James. A rugged man, maybe around his fifties, who had a kind face, but still it most definitely held a wisdom past his years.  
  
"Hello Callie." James smiled pleasantly, and even though he only said those two simple words, Callie liked him already. She then knew that her life for now on would be changed, not for bad, but for good. But she doesn't yet know how drastically her life will be changed within two short days. 


	2. Callie's New Life

After saying the sad goodbyes and promises to write to Beth, it was time to get along. The driver, Clyde, helped her get her things into the carriage and off they went, leaving behind a waving Beth. The ride to Aunt Jules was very interesting. Callie got to see most of Graniston because the driver made sure he went on the most scenic route, even though it took longer. Even Lynx was interested in the scenery, because he sat on Callie's lap and watched it pass by the whole way. A lot of Graniston was covered in trees, but ever now and then there would be a piece of flat land being used by a lake or a farm. Aunt Jules was talking the whole time, but Callie only caught some of what she said.  
  
//I think I'm going to have to work on listening better, or she's going to have to slow down. It's probably because she's as nervous as I am.\\ Aloud she said, "Is your house much farther?"  
  
"Oh no no, it's just around this corner here. I hope you like it. It's probably not as fancy as your house was, but it's home." Aunt Jules seemed far away for a moment, as if reliving some memory. Then she snapped back into reality to find Callie watching her closely. She smiled as if embarrassed, and then looked out the window, quiet for the first time since Callie saw her.  
  
//I wonder what that was all about. Oh! There's her house. When she said it wasn't as nice, she was wrong, it's gorgeous! The mansion was bigger, but I've always wanted a littler house.\\  
  
The house was white, and two story. It looked small, but big at the same time. With bushes in the front yard, a building behind and off to the side, it looked all around like a normal house. //That building must be for the maids and butler.\\  
  
"Aunt Jules, your house is beautiful. Now I know why you love it so much. I haven't even gone in and I love it already." Callie spoke so genuinely that it caused her aunt to get excited again.  
  
"Oh yes I know. But just wait until you get inside. My husband built this all. We both had so much fun decorating the inside, that it is just filled with a little bit of everything." Aunt Jules seemed to have a sad look in her eyes when she said this, so Callie decided to not ask where her uncle actually was, because she figured the news wouldn't be good.  
  
Finally they pulled up to the house and got out to stretch the cramps out of her legs for sitting so long in the train and carriage. Up close the house looked bigger, but still the same sense of comfort and homeliness. The doors had flower vines outlining them, with an odd shaped doorknocker on the front. Like the rest of the house they were white and simple.  
  
Her aunt was back to herself again in no time, and raced up the stairs like a playful child would, with Lynx following her, seeming as excited as she was. Callie laughed and followed them."Welcome, child, to my home." And with that she pushed open the doors, and Callie got her first look into her new life, and could do nothing but gasp. 


	3. The House

Here's the next chapter everyone!! I just want you guys to know that I don't have the story finished, so I'm going to post whenever I think up a chapter. Sorry!!  
  
The inside facing her was another set of doors, about 7 feet away, but that's not what made her gasp. The entrance hall was glittering with little glass statues on shelves built on the wall. A natural light came from the ceiling, casting rainbows everywhere. Off to the corner there was a little door to put coats in, but it wasn't an ordinary door, because when Callie finally got over her shock, she went up to it and took off her coat, but the odd thing was, it opened by itself.  
  
Aunt Jules ran up, looking rather nervous. "It's probably just the wind, I didn't close it all the way when I left, for I was so excited to see you!" //Oh, I hate lying to her, but pretty soon she'll know the truth about the real reason why she came here, instead of staying at her house with the maids.\\  
  
Callie decided that she'd accept that excuse, but she still thought there was something strange about it all. She then was escorted into the main house. The house was just as beautiful as the entrance hall. The floors were made of a soft rose color carpet, that looked wonderfully fluffy. In front of her was a staircase leading upstairs, made of a beautiful mahogany wood, carpeted in the same soft rose carpet. To the right of the staircase, there was an archway that looked like it led to a library or study. Off to the left of the main room, she could see a large dining room, with a table that could roughly seat 9 people. There was also a tiny and simple, but beautiful chandelier over the table. When she looked over to the right, the first thing that caught her eye was a large fireplace, with hundreds of tiny fairies and flowers intricantly carved on the mantle. Then looking around she could see a large living room, with furniture that looked like it was from all over the world. Pictures of different scenery and people filled this room. Lights were built into the wall, like they grew out of it.  
  
Callie turned around to see where Aunt Jules was. She was surprised to find that she was standing right next to her and jumped slightly.  
  
"Did I scare you? I didn't mean to, you looked like you needed a moment to sink it all in." She laughed a bit, then turned and asked, "Are you hungry? I can have Saria cook something up for us."  
  
"Oh, yes, now that I think of it, I am quite famished. Thank-you. Aunt Jules how did you." She suddenly stopped, because she had turned back to the room to find everything rearranged.  
  
"Yes dear, is everything all right?" Aunt Jules stopped in her tracks towards the dining room, looking back at Callie.  
  
//That's very strange, maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me, but I am sure that couch was on the other side of the room just a moment ago.\\ Out loud she answered, "Umm, sorry, no everything's fine, I was just wondering who could carve a mantle like that? Everything is so life-like."  
  
Aunt Jules walked back over, "Oh that mantle was carved by my husband's best friend, Josef Benaly. He was a very skilled carpenter, people came from all over the world to get his carvings. That mantle was a wedding gift to us." She again took that far-off look, then snapped back into reality a couple seconds later. "Well I better go tell Saria to fix us up something nice, I'll be back in a moment. While I'm gone, feel free to look around, remember this is now your home, too."  
  
She smiled, then wondered off into the dining room. //I'm going to have to try to make a mental map, because I believe I am soon going to get lost.\\  
  
Callie then turned to the archway and went through. She found that she was correct, a library and a study all in one. It was so silent in there that she felt she would have to whisper, so to not interrupt the silence. There was hundreds of books, so she tip-toed along one of the walls and read some of the titles. She was instantly drawn to a book called The Art of Jalon. It had a black cover with golden letters that seemed to sparkle. Filled with wonder she pulled it out. The cover had a picture of a person walking through a black hole on it. Her forehead crinkled with wonder and decided to open it. Just when she was getting ready to open it, Lynx came in the room and tried to jump into her arms, causing her to drop the book, and making a loud thud on the ground.  
  
"Lynx! Look what you did!" She whispered and bent down to pick it up. Lynx looked at her guiltily then jumped down and disappeared back out of the room to explore more. Just then Aunt Jules came in and saw the book that Callie had picked up and was getting ready to open.  
  
"Callie!" She shouted, making Callie drop the book again in surprise. She started to walk over, "I'm sorry for shouting, it's just that you surprised me also." She bent down and picked up the book that Callie had dropped, and placed it back in the shelf. "Here, let me show you my favorite room in the whole house." She walked off to a door on the far end of the room and Callie followed puzzling over the book that her aunt clearly didn't want her to see.  
  
"Aunt Jules, why didn't you let me see that book? Is there something wrong with it?" Callie pried, hoping not to upset her aunt.  
  
"Oh, nonsense, you can look at any book you want in there, I just want to show you this room before we have to go to supper." Aunt Jules giggled nervously then opened the door.  
  
Inside there was a large conservatory, filled with all sorts of plants, some Callie recognized, and some she didn't. They had entered in the very middle of the room, so to the left of them there was beautiful flowers of all colors, and to the right there was different types of greenery. This instantly became Callie's favorite room too, because they entered at the exact moment the sun was going down.  
  
"Everything is so gorgeous in here, Aunt Jules!" She said, looking around in wonder at the spectacle before her.  
  
"I know, I come here whenever I need to relax, and just work with my plants, did you know I make medicines and ointments? My workroom is through this doorway over here." She started towards the right of the room and went through o doorway Callie hadn't noticed before. What she saw was a medium- sized room, with a work-table filled with bottles and jars, at the back of the room there was bottles filled with liquids, some of them almost shining.  
  
"Well, we best be getting to the supper table, Saria if bound to be finished preparing dinner, and knowing her, she'll be fretting over the food getting cold." Her aunt laughed and they interloped arms and skipped, laughing, back through the different rooms into the dining room.  
  
Saria was a plump, little lady, with grey hair tied back into a bun. She had a face wrinkled with smiles, which is what Callie got as soon as she came into the room.  
  
"There you ladies are, all this food that I slaved over is sitting here waiting for someone to eat it! So you better hurry and get right to it, before it gets lonely and cold." She gave a hearty laughed and scurried out of the room muttering something along the lines of her worrying about her own sanity.  
  
Callie smiled. //I'm so glad everyone so far is nice. I still have to meet my new maid. I hope she's as nice as everyone else, because I heard Aunt Jules say to Beth that we are the same age, and I do want a friend my age that I can talk to.\\  
  
They sat down and began eating their delicious meal. James walked in and smiled, "Miss Callie, Mrs. Jules." Then looked over to Callie. "Miss Callie, I have placed your bags in your room." He then changed his gaze to her aunt and said, "Miss Callie's new maid, Tarinth, has just arrived, would you like me to show her around?"  
  
"Umm, no, I think I'd like to go ahead and meet her, then I can show her and Callie the upstairs together. While we are finishing up, please go ahead and show her around downstairs, and where she is to be staying. Thank- you so much James, you are such a help!" James nodded, winked Callie's way then excused himself to the main entrance.  
  
Just when they were finishing, James walked in again and announced that he was finished showing her around downstairs.  
  
"Alright, so Callie are you ready so meet Tarinth?" Aunt Jules asked while standing up from her place at the table.  
  
"Yes, I think so." Callie said, just realizing how nervous she was to meet the person she could become close friends to, or be miserable until she was old enough to move out. //It's finally time! I hope she's nice and fun, and and. Well, I'll just have to see. Ok, I'm ready, lets go see her."\\ Callie thought as she followed Aunt Jules into the main room. 


End file.
